Beet-topper.



No. 676,948; Patented l M. s- HART. une 25, l90il.

BEETTOPPEB.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1900.

(No Model.)

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OF PELLA, IOWA.

BEET TOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,946, dated Jane 25, 1901.

Application filed October 27, 1900. Serial No. 34,568. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MURRAY S. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pella, in the county of Marion, State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Beet-Topper, of which the followingis a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a frame with a groove having inwardly-overlapping edges in the upper and front part thereof, with a fork-shaped prong extending at right angles to the front and midway between the upper and lower extremities of said frame, and, further, to provide a cutting device with a handle at one end and a cuttingblade at the other to work vertically in said groove, the knife on the lower extremity of the cutting device to come in contact with the tops of the beet or other vegetable when placed on said prong, and, further, to provide a handle on one side and near the top of the frame to assist the operatorin carrying the machine from place to place when it is strapped to his right leg and the ball of his right foot placed upon the plate at the lower forward extremity of the frame.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows in perspective the entire beet-topping machine. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the cutting device with parts broken away to show the manner of connecting the handle and the cutting-blade to the bar. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the middle portion of the frame and the means of securing the fork-shaped prong to the frame. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the middle portion of the frame, showing the manner of attaching the forkshaped prong to the frame and a brace for supporting said prong.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. i

The frame is composed of wood or metal and is formed by the side 11, having the projection 12, a flaring base 13, with the projections 14 and 15 thereon, the back portion 17, the side 18, secured together by bolts through the sides and back, together forming the groove 19, in which the cutting device 23 may run with a vertical movement. To the front edges of the sides 11 and 18 are attached the metal strips 20 and 21, which overlap inwardly the sides, to which they are attached by screws, thus to retain the cutting device from moving horizontally when operated. The back portion and the two strips 20 and 21 are about one-half the length of the side 11 and are so constructed as to allow the fork-shaped prong to be placed against the side 11 and secured thereto by bolts, the upper edge of the prong placed against the lower ends of the back portion and the two strips 20 and 2l to hold the prongs more securely in place and to limit the downward movement of the cutting device.

On the outer side of the tine 26 of the forkshaped prong 24: and near the back end thereof a gain is made of sufficientwidth and depth to receive the lower extremity of the side 18 and allow the side 18 and the prong 2a to be gained together and held firmly in place by screws or other means. This is shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The side 18 is of a length sufficient to extend from the top of the machine to the lower edge of the prong 24E. Underneath the prong 24 is a triangularshaped brace 27, designed to help support the prong 2%. Near the top and secured to the side 18 is a handle 28 to assist the operator in carrying the machine. The fork-shaped prong 24, which is attached to the middle portion of the side ll'helow the lower end of the back portion and retaining, strips, has two tines and 26, each of which is rounded on its under edge near its outer extremity and each of which is hollowed out on its upper edge to keep the vegetable more easily in place when the tops are being cut by the cutting device 23. These tines are of any length sufficient to extend beyond the outer end of the cutting-blade 29 when at its lower limit of movement and are so constructed as to protect the knife from injury when stored away. The space between the tines 25 and 26 is sufficient to receive the cutting-blade when at its lower limit of movement, which limit is reached when the lower end of the bar 23 reaches the upper edge of the prong 24. The cutting device 23 is composed of a bar 30 of such Width, length, and thickness as to position desired for operation.

permit it to run vertically in the groove 19.

-Near the upper end of the bar 30 is secured at right angles to the bar, midway between the sides, a straight handle 23, with a ballshaped bulb at its outer end, and at the lower end, in front of said bar, is secured a curved cutting-blade 29 of any width, weight, and thickness desirable, with its back end so bent as to fit into a gain at the lower end of the said bar 30 and held securely to said bar by bolts, the heads of which are countersunk into the sides of the bar 30. Near the top, secured by screws at right angles to the retainingstrips 20 and 21, is another retaining-strip 33, preferably made of metal, which is designed to limit the upward movement of the cutting device 23 and prevent its pulling out of the groove 19 when the upper edge of the cuttingblade 29 touches the lower edge of the retaining-strip 33. The object of securing the retaining-strip 33 by screws is to enable the operator to remove the cutting device easily when he desires to sharpen the cutting-blade.

On the outside of the side 11 of the frame two straps 31 and 34 are secured by bolts or by passing the straps through holes bored through the sides 11 in such a manner that the straps may be bound around the operators right leg and hold the machine in the At one end of each strap is a buckle, and at the other end holes are punched in the straps, so that they may be buckled after being Wound around the leg.

To the forward projection 14: at the flaring base 13 of the side 11 is held the plate 16 in a pivotal manner on the bolt 35. The plate 16 has the back 36, attached pivot-ally to the projection lat, and a forwardly projecting plate 37, upon which the operator places the ball of his right foot, and he is enabled to walk easily, because of the pivotal attachment of the plate, and when putting the machine in position for operation he is able to bear his weight upon the plate, thus pushing the projections 14 and 15 into the soft ground of a vegetable-field and holding the machine firmly in position for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is.

1. A beet-topping machine, comprising in combination, a frame with a groove in the upper front portion thereof, a cutting device capable of vertical movement in said groove, a fork-shaped prong extending forwardly from and at right angles to said frame, strips to retain said cutting device from horizontal movement, for the purposes stated.

2. An improved beet-topper, comprisingin combination, a frame with a groove in the upper front portion thereof, a cutting device capable of vertical movement in said groove, with a bar having a handle at the upper end projecting at right angles to saidbar, a curved cutting-blade attached near the lower end of said bar, strips to retain the cutting device in said groove from horizontal movement, a strip near the top and in front of said frame, to limit the upward movement of the cutting device, a fork-shaped prong extending forwardly from and at right angles to said frame, to limit the downward movement of said cutting device, for the purposes stated.

3. The combination of a beet topping machine, with a frame having a groove in the upper forward portion thereof, a cutting device, a prong secured to said frame, a brace to support said prong, a side 11, of said frame, having a flaring-shaped base with projections thereon, straps attached to said side 11 below its middle portion, a plate pivotally attached to the forward projection l t of said flaring-shaped base, a handle 28 attached to and near the top of the side 18 of said frame,

for the purposes stated.

MURRAY S. HART. Witnesses:

F. O. STUART, W. R. LANE. 

